Harry Terris

Some 75% of chief information officers plan to increase spending on security technology next year, with many anticipating jumps in security budgets of 20% or more.

Corporate strategy is taking up more of a CIO's day than ever, survey respondents say.

Security and online and mobile banking rose to the top of bank CIOs' priority lists this year, according to a proprietary survey by American Banker and SourceMedia Research.

Most banks have been adding deposit share in some key markets while slipping in others. This graphic provides snapshots of how the battlefield is changing.

Second quarter marks against securities have ranged to 5% or more of tangible equity, but markets have looked past the losses and bid up bank stocks.

Deposit costs lagged short-term interest rates on the way up and the way down during the last cycle. A relatively large representation of long-term certificates of deposits could help as rates rise.

Planned price increases and hints that households are looking for higher yields for their savings suggest that the flood tide of deposits could finally be ebbing.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...Talking Rates: More communication and more interpretation. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks at a conference Wednesday and the release of the minutes of the central bank's June policy meeting delivered two major themes. Like other officials recently, Bernanke sought to decouple tapering of the Fed's asset purchases, which could begin later this year, from views on its policy rate, saying that "the overall message is accommodation." Meanwhile, the minutes showed divisions among the Fed's regional presidents and board members, with one block inclined to end the asset purchases by yearend and another inclined to wait for a stronger outlook for the labor market. Markets, which appear to have been trading as though the Fed's posture on asset purchases says something about its posture on the path of short-term rates, didn't move much, with the Dow ending the day about flat. According to the Journal, Bernanke said he would not have changed his previous comments. "The market volatility of the past six weeks could have been much worse if he had kept silent on their plans for winding down the program, misleading investors into thinking the bond-buying could go on forever, Mr. Bernanke said."

The long-anticipated collapse in mortgage applications, finally a reality, stands to take a bite out of bank earnings in the second quarter and beyond.

Growth in business loans continued to outpace other categories in the second quarter but failed to rebound to the blistering rate that prevailed through most of 2011 and 2012, preliminary data shows.

Various loan types have been yielding fatter margins over banks’ cost of funds through much of the Fed’s campaign to stimulate the economy. Blame banks' tight overall margins on cash and securities.

Hoping that a steeper yield curve will boost your net interest margin? History shows that higher rates might not have that effect.

The business credit card sector, which was on life support near the end of the recession, appears to be strengthening.

Credit card chargeoff rates declined in May, defying the usual seasonal pattern. Loan growth remains elusive.

Some banks have transformed their loan portfolios with a focus on business borrowers, and made strides in profitability at the same time.

Loan yields are still healthy relative to funding costs. It’s the pileup of low-rate bonds on bank balance sheets that has crimped profit margins.

The fees Fannie and Freddie charge to cover credit risk on mortgages have been surging. Large segments of the market may soon be fair game for securitization without federal backing.

Net interest margins are complex beasts. During the last Fed tightening cycle, the yield curve turned negative and margins narrowed.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...A Little Something for Dimon Withdrawal: Feeling bereft now that the shooting has died down in the tabloid war over the House of JPMorgan Chase? Jamie Dimon may not really "want any more press," but the press isn't quite cooperating. In "Current Account" in the Journal, Francesco Guerrera offered a homily about how Dimon should think about succession and board expertise after his victory in retaining the chairmanship. In "Fair Game" in the Sunday Times, Gretchen Morgenson highlighted a real estate investment trust that appointed a former trustee to fill "the vacancy created by his resignation" after the majority of shares voted against him this month. (Most of the column was about a fight over board diversity at Urban Outfitters.)

Banks have been blaming one another for recklessly chasing business loans. Data on portfolio yields and growth offers perspective on which ones are being the most aggressive.